Producer Mark Smith on Wednesday watches as Abilene High School cheerleader Givan Walker carries a placard announcing Laurence Fishburne's role in an upcoming movie about the 2009 Eagles football championship. The movie, "Brother's Keeper", will feature Fishburne as the late Harold Christian, who owned the well-regarded Harold's Pit Bar-B-Que.(Photo: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News)Buy Photo

Russell Christian had only one doubt about actor Laurence Fishburne playing the role of his father in the soon-to-be-made “Brother’s Keeper,” the story about Abilene High School’s 2009 state championship football team.

“I don’t know if he can sing as well,” said Christian, whose late father, Harold, was the owner of the iconic Harold’s barbecue joint on Walnut Street. “But I bet they pull it off. He’s a great actor.”

Fishburne and other members of the cast were announced Wednesday afternoon at a pep rally at Abilene High School. The movie is based on the book of the same name written by local author Al Pickett and Chad Mitchell, the former pastor of The Mission Church and the chaplain for the AHS football team for many years.

Fishburne is the most well-known actor in the movie, having played diverse roles since 1975, including Morpheus in “The Matrix” and Ike Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” He currently stars in the acclaimed television series “Blackish.”

Producer Mark Smith announced four other cast members — Milo Gibson, Mel Gibson’s son, as Mitchell, Glenn Morshower as head coach Steve Warren, former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George as the father of star player Ronnell Sims and Noel Gugliemi. Of that group, Morshower has more than 200 credits and has been in such movies as “Money Ball” as well as the television hit, “24.”

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Abilene High School students react when Laurence Fishburne's name is announced for the upcoming movie, "Brother's Keeper", Wednesday in Eagle Gym. The film is based upon former Reporter-News sports editor Al Pickett's book, with Chad Mitchell, about the 2009 Eagles football championship season.(Photo: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News)

The man whom Morshower will be portraying, Warren, was at the pep rally. No longer the Eagles head coach, he said a movie depicting the title run in 2009 couldn’t have been further from his mind when it was happening.

“I was too busy trying to win it to worry about something like that,” he said. “But this has been great re-living some of that time. It’s good stuff. Great memories.”

Mitchell, however, said he predicted to Pickett that the book would become a movie. After a process of about five years, Mitchell’s bold prediction will come true when filming begins next month in Minnesota. Even so, he said it still feels surreal.

“I’m still at a point (where I’m thinking), ‘Is this really happening?’” he said.

Filming will be done in Abilene in September and Smith said the movie will premiere in Abilene next March.

Smith said the story is one that needs to be told.

“We’re at a time in our country when we need to look beyond boundaries,” he told the crowd. “America needs heroes and there are real American heroes in Abilene, Texas.”

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The announced cast of "Brother's Keeper", an upcoming film about the 2009 Abilene High School championship football season. The movie will begin shooting in Abilene in September, according to producer Mark Smith.(Photo: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News)

While the students at the pep rally were elementary school students when Abilene High won the 2009 title against Katy, Warren said they were no doubt aware of that moment in the school’s history.

“I guarantee you there were a lot of them here who were at that game,” he said.

The pep rally was held after school Wednesday and featured the full AHS band, under the direction of Paul Walker for the last time.